Liholiho Yacht Club, Mourad and 2 other restaurants open

Liholiho Yacht Club, Mourad and 2 other restaurants open

1of24Chef Ravi Kapur, left, and chef Laurence Jossel, right, get a hug from Tatiana Graf, center, during the grand opening of Liholiho Yacht Club, the much anticipated new Hawaiian restaurant from chef Ravi Kapur in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, January 28, 2015.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

4of24A baked Hawaiian is served during the grand opening of Liholiho Yacht Club, the much anticipated new Hawaiian restaurant from chef Ravi Kapur in San Francisco, Calif., on Wednesday, January 28, 2015.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

5of24The main dining area is just steps away from the open kitchen of Liholiho Yacht Club, the much anticipated new Hawaiian restaurant from chef Ravi Kapur in San Francisco.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

6of24Wine storage in the lower floor during the grand opening of Liholiho Yacht Club,.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

7of24A baked Hawaiian is prepared before being served during the grand opening of Liholiho Yacht Club.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

19of24Megan Silxbee mixes a cocktail at the bar during the grand opening of Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

20of24Nikki Chang shows her son Tate, 15 mos, the working kitched as her husband Jeff looks in too, during the grand opening of Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

21of24Chef Ravi Kapur talks with chef Lawrence Jossel, left, who was helping during the grand opening of Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

22of24April Storm and Makoa Kapur, 3, wife and son of chef Ravi Kapur, enjoy dessert during the grand opening of Liholiho Yacht Club in San Francisco.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

24of24The Bonito Caesar with brussel sprouts and romansco served during the grand opening of Liholiho Yacht Club.Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

The first month of the year traditionally are slow in the restaurant business. But not in 2015. The following highly anticipated spots have all opened in the past few days.

Hawker Fare

The line: The first San Francisco restaurant from James Syhabout, the enterprising Oakland chef whose collection includes Michelin-starred Commis, the beer-centric Dock at Linden Street, and his original street food joint, Hawker Fare. (See In the Kitchen, Page K6.)

The look: Dark, lusty, with more than a touch of vintage Southeast Asian pop culture. Seventies-era Thai funk and soul bumps through the speakers.

The dish: Laab kuom ($12) — country-style Issan steak tartare with tripe, shallots, herbs, toasted rice powder and, for a touch of bitterness, beef bile. It’s one of 30-plus uncompromising and often fiery Thai and Laotian offerings, best enjoyed family style with wads of sticky rice.

The neighborhood: The heart of the Mission’s Valencia Street corridor.

The line: The long-awaited, Hawaiian-tinted dream project from a team of seasoned restaurant pros: chef Ravi Kapur and Nopa partners Allyson Jossel and Jeff Hanak.

The look: Kapur’s precise but rustic food is mirrored by a stylized, polished and playful design from Farina architect Brett Terpeluk. A good-size bar in front is a key place for walk-ins who can’t snag a coveted reservation.

The dish: The seasonal dinner menu riffs off the Hawaiian pantry, from poke to nori, but one dessert is inspired by an American classic — Baked Hawaii ($10), with a gooey, charred meringue spiral cloaking carmelized pineapple ice cream and a vanilla shortbread cookie.

The look: Gorgeous. Opulent. Modern. Big. Architect Olle Lundberg built the blockbuster restaurant, which consists of a ground-floor dining room, bar/lounge, mezzanine and several private rooms.

The dish: Aziza’s signature, constantly evolving b’steeya ($22) is available a la carte, though Mourad offers a more varied experience, including a tasting menu ($150). Or, pop into the bar for a cocktail like the Salt & Pepper ($13), made with gin, lemon, grapefruit and bitters.

The neighborhood: Housed in the historic Pacific Telephone Building, next to Trou Normand, where the Financial District hits SoMa.

The line: With bright young chef Joel Lamica leading the charge, an ambitious, market-driven restaurant has snuck into Berkeley’s busy restaurant scene.

The look: Nothing particularly remarkable, but wait until you see the menu.

The dish: As sort of a holdover from prior tenant Mint Leaf, the daily-changing menu comes with Indian and Japanese twists, like tikka masala fried chicken with collard greens and celeriac yukon mash ($22) and squid ink naan ($5).

The neighborhood: Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto, right next to a place called Chez Panisse.

Paolo Lucchesi is the San Francisco Chronicle’s Inside Scoop columnist. He covers all breaking restaurant news in the Bay Area, from openings and closings to chef gossip and other food media. Before coming to The Chronicle food section, he served as the founding editor of Eater San Francisco, which launched in fall 2007, and later Eater National, which launched in fall 2009.